Division 3 Power Rankings for Sept. 17

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 prep season is about a month old, so it's a good time to start looking at which teams are making the biggest impact thus far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Division 3 feels like a wide open race this year, as there's a lot of programs showing the potential to put together a title run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>1. Saginaw Valley Lutheran</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite a big injury to the team, Valley Lutheran has looked like a top contender in Division 3. The offense is very balanced behind the play of setter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523865' first='Kate' last='Belt']</strong>, one of the top players in the division. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='442983' first='Hayden' last='Sherman']</strong> has also been a big key at libero, racking up dig after dig to keep the offense rolling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors have been racking up the wins and doing it with relative ease. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='916037' first='Madie' last='Folkema'] </strong>has been putting the ball down at a strong rate and proving she can be an outside that can hang with anyone in the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>3. Clinton</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clinton has played a competitive schedule, but has come through with some tough wins and played very tight sets against bigger opponents in some of their losses. Clinton has a lot of offensive options it can turn to, with <strong>Rylee Pepper</strong> and <strong>Isabella Bannon</strong> pitting together some strong kill numbers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>4. Roscommon</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bucks bring plenty of firepower to the net, led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='732306' first='Reese' last='Williams']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='769601' first='Mara' last='Williams']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='586777' first='Nemiah' last='Carper']</strong>. With those three arms, Roscommon is going to be able to compete with anyone in Division 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>5. Cass City</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cass City has played a really tough schedule. While there have been some ups and downs, it is going to make the Red Hawks stronger in the long run. The 1-2 punch of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='569773' first='Skylar' last='Ignash'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='787391' first='Karsyn' last='Ignash']</strong> gives Cass City a formidable duo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>6. SMCC</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Kestrels are always going to find themselves in the mix in D3. They've been one of the top programs in the state for years and I don't see that changing this year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='456251' first='Alexa' last='Turner'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='517282' first='Allie' last='Ruhlig']</strong> have been great leaders on and off the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>7. Elk Rapids</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Elks will be a team to watch as the postseason approaches. They have a deep roster, with a lot of options that can step up in pressure situations. That includes <strong>Payton Friess</strong>, <strong>Maggie Best</strong>, and <strong>Caris Bush</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>8. Plymouth Christian Academy</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles are a little shorthanded right now, but still have some great athletes that will keep it right in the Division 3 mix. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523872' first='Anika' last='Jaroszewski']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587016' first='Lillian' last='Bowman']</strong> pose a lot of problems for opponents and both will be difference-makers come October.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>9. Morley Stanwood</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mohawks are taking on a challenging schedule, but have picked up set wins against some strong D2 opponents. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='816366' first='Madeline' last='Kozuch']</strong> is having an MVP-type season to start 2026, as she's piling up the kills and finishing at a high rate. Senior <strong>Saige Ososki</strong> has also been a star for the Mohawks in the back row.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>10. Hart</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Pirates are a senior-heavy roster, which has led to some strong performances early in 2026. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='942130' first='Reese' last='Smith'] </strong>is leading the offense, while <strong>Alayna Schiller </strong>is one of the top-performing liberos right now in Division 3. Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1001382' first='Peyton' last='Erickson']</strong> is also making an impact for Hart, which has provided a nice boost to the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Next Teams In: Kalamazoo Christian/Traverse City St. Francis</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both programs know what it takes to reach Battle Creek. Both have also played very difficult schedules, so don't let the results mask that each will still have a say in who reaches Battle Creek in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->